Yotam Ottolenghi’s Tomato and Pomegranate Salad

What is Za'atar?

Sumac, I have in my house. FYI, on the Za’atar.
Za’atar
MAKES ABOUT 1/4 CUP
Combine 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano, 1 Tbsp. sumac, 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, and 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds. Stir in 1 tsp. kosher salt and 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Where does one find pomegranates in May?

I buy pomegranate seeds in a tub at Trader Joe's year round. they are delicious.

I posted a reply elsewhere here about using frozen pomegranate seeds (from the organic frozen foods section of my local Wegmans). Just throw them in and they thaw quickly in the salad. Much better than the "fresh" ones at TJ and other stores, in my opinion.

Because I don't really like raw onion, even if sliced thin, I quick-pickle the red onion with apple cider vinegar, salt, and sugar. The pickled onions mesh very well with the other ingredients.

So if you buy pomegranate seeds by the tub, approximately how much equals "seeds from one pomegranate?" (I mostly hate units of measure like "one onion" as very non-informative.)

I made this with sweet bing cherries instead of pomegranate this weekend and it was fantastic. Cherry tomatoes are still pretty acidic this time of year and pair well with the sweet cherries. Kept everything else exactly the same and it was really quite delicious!

I was in shock: An Ottolenghi recipe so light on prep-work! It was delicious nonetheless, and will be a staple in my repertoire. Very balanced and refreshing. I did like the manouri cheese better, as I think feta would be too dominant. Ricotta salata might work better.
Don't get too hung up on the measures (ie: sizes of onions/peppers etc). Salads like these are very forgiving. I like mine with more herbs, but that's because I think everything is better with herbs!

I made this last night having bought pomegranate seeds (from Chile, I think) at Trader Joe's. They were inedible-- they tasted like rubbing alcohol. Whatever they were soaking in to preserve them didn't rinse off after several minutes under running water. I didn't use them; $4.50 down the drain. I used a little pomegranate molasses in the dressing, which was fine, but I would only use seeds from a fresh pomegranate in the future.

We make this in the early fall, when the last ripe garden tomatoes greet in passing the first pomegranates. We drain the copious juices and cook them down, then spread that on great bread with goat cheese, and top with the jeweled salad. It's a one-week-a-year treat in our gadren-centered household, great with grilled lamb burgers.

What can you use in place of za'tar

I'm not a big fan of frozen or "containerized" pomegranate seeds, so in between seasons I use pomegranate molasses in the dressing. Za'atar loves pomegranate molasses ;)

Many recipes available for this versatile mix of herbs and spice; most of the herbs grow in our PA garden, including sumac. We love it so much that it is an everyday, readily available condiment in our kitchen!
Pomegranate however, is available for only a short season in PA. Since cherries are in season in spring...

I make a version of this recipe with cantaloupe instead of pomegranate seeds. Cantaloupes and tomatoes will be available at the same time. I agree with another commentor that pomegranate season and tomato season do not overlap in the same hemisphere. One will have to look for imported pomegranate seeds to try the recipe. It does sound intriguing though.